2nd shipment of Sinopharm vaccines arrive in Barbados

Barbados has received a boost to its supply of COVID-19 vaccines.

This with the arrival of a second shipment of Sinopharm vaccines from the Government of the People’s Republic of China.

The consignment of 30,000 doses arrived at the Grantley Adams International Airport on Friday, and were officially handed over to the Ministry of Health and Wellness. They were purchased under the National Vaccination Fund, which was established earlier this year by Government.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kenneth George; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Janet Phillips, and Co-Coordinator of the National Vaccination Programme, Major David Clarke, were on hand to receive the vaccines, along with China’s Ambassador to Barbados, Yan Xiusheng.

Speaking with the Barbados Government Information Service after the handover, Dr. George described the local uptake of the Sinopharm vaccine as satisfactory, with 4,171 people being fully vaccinated with Sinopharm as at October 1st.

Dr. George says this purchase of additional vaccines will allow for at least another 30,000 individuals to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

The first batch of 30,000 doses of Sinopharm, which arrived on the island in June, was donated to Barbados by the Chinese government.

The Chief Medical Officer maintains that the vaccines have a good safety profile, and were “comparable with respect to their efficacy against many of the circulating variants”.

He also reiterated Government’s commitment to providing Barbadians with COVID-19 vaccine options.